Whip-guard for railways.



UNITED smiles PATENT oFFion.

WILLIAM H. LAWRENCE AND CHARLES A. SCHROYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed April 1, 1905. Serial No. 253,357-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. LAW- RENOE and CHARLES A. SoHRoYER, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Whip-Guards for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of improvements known as whip-guards for railway structures, which are commonly used in advance of viaducts, tunnels, and bridges under which the railway road-bed is laid, to give warning to employees or parties who may be on the car-roofs of approaching trains, so that they may have an opportunity to avoid dangerous contact with such structures.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical, and eflicient whip-guard.

Further objects of the invention will appear from an examination of the drawings and the following description and claims.

The invention consists principally in a whip-guard for railway structures in which there are combined inner discontinuous wire portions and an outer covering of fibrous material.

The invention consists, further, in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in miniature of a portion of a whip-guard for railway-cars as it appears when constructed in accordance with these improvements; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a slightly-enlarged elevation of one of the whips forming the guard; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, taken substantially through the center of the whip, so as to show the inner wire portion and the outer covering of rope.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that it is very desirable to provide a whip-guard having individual whips,

which will be economical to manufacture and efficient in operationthat is, which will retain their rigidity and efficiency over as long a period as possible without depriving it of its cushioning qualities, which prevent injurious accidents to employees on the top of moving trainsall of which will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. 4

In constructing a whip-guard for railways in accordance with these improvements and describing one of the individual whips only, the others being simply duplicates thereof, we use inner discontinuous wire portions a and a, which are disconnected substantially midway of their length or, more properly speaking, of the whip for purposes hereinafter set forth. l These inner wire portions are formed, preferably, of copper spring-wire, which will maintain its shape in ordinary conditions or usage without kinking or taking a permanent set. Wound around or covering these inner wire portions is a covering b, preferably formed of rope, though other fibrous (meanin soft) material may be used. The function of the ropes is necessarily to make a com aratively bulky whip and at the same time orm a cushion, so that when it strikes an employee or person on the top of a moving train it will not be apt to injure him.

- This rope covering, as well as the inner metal wire portion, is provided with a loop 0 at its upper end, by means of which it is suspended from the desired suspending device 01, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2.

The loop is formed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, by bending the outer covering and the wire backwardly and downwardly and then winding therearound two strands of copper wire e for the purpose of making the loop permanent.

To provide or assist in maintaining what we prefer to term a flexible or bending joint midway of the length of the whip, we take a cord, cable, or similar element, all of which we intend to be comprehended under the word cord, and wind it around the exterior of the rope at a plurality of points substantially over the disconnected ends of the inner spring-wire, as at f, and again at the lower end of the whip at g to prevent unraveling of the same, all of which will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. I

In using the word wire we do not desire to be understood as limiting ourselves to an element formed of metallic wire, as other materialssuch as ratan, for instance-performing substantially the same result are comprehended under this term.

We claim- 1. In a whipguard of the class described, the combination of inner discontinuous metallic wire portions, and an outer covering of fibrous material, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a whip-guard of the class described, the combination of inner discontinuous spring-wire portions, and an outer covering of fibrous or similar material, substantially as described. I

3. In a whip-guard of the class described, the combination of inner discontinuous copper spring-wire portions, and an outer covering of fibrous or similar material, substantially as described.

4. In a whip-guard of the class described, the combination of inner metal wire portions separated substantially midway of the length of the whip, an, outer covering of fibrous material, and a cord or similar element wound around the exterior of the fibrous covering substantially at the disconnected ends of the inner wire so as to provide a flexible bending joint for the whip, substantially as described.

5. In a whip-guard of the class described, the combination of inner spring-wire portions disconnected substantially midway of the length of the whip, an outer covering of rope or similar material, and cord or similar element wound around the exterior portion of the rope substantially at the ends of the inner wire portion, substantially as described.

6. In a whip-guard of the class described, the combination of inner spring-wire portions disconnected substantially midway of the whip, an outer covering of rope or similar material looped at its upper portion, and an outer winding cord or similar material Wound around the exterior surface of the rope at its lower end and again substantially midway of the length of the guard over the disconnected ends of the inner spring-wire portions, substantially as described.

7. In a whip-guard of the class described, the combination of an inner stiffening portion or portions, and an outer covering of fibrous material, substantially as described.

8. In a whip-guard of the class described, a whip formed with an inner discontinuous stiffening-wire portion, and an outer covering of fibrous material, substantially as described.

' WILLIAM H. LAWRENCE.

CHARLES A. SCHROYER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, NORMAN A. STREET. 

